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Eyewitness Karl Mitchell-Shead: "I saw remnants of a vehicle in the foyer"
Fire has engulfed council offices in Oxfordshire and two other buildings following a spate of suspected arson attacks overnight.
A 47-year-old man has been arrested following the blaze at the South Oxfordshire District Council building in Crowmarsh Gifford.
Eyewitnesses have described to the BBC how they saw a car plough into the front of the building.
Firefighters have also been tackling two other blazes in the area.
A funeral parlour nearby was also on fire and as well as a property in Quakers Corner, Roke Marsh.
Police are linking the fires, which are all now under control.
Karl Mitchell-Shead told the BBC he saw a burnt-out vehicle in the foyer of the council building.
"We wondered if someone had accidentally driven into it, or purposely driven into the foyer, but certainly it looks like that's where the fire started.
"That was the area that was most heavily damaged."
A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: "At this stage the police investigation is focusing on all three fires being linked and are believed to be suspicious.
"It is believed that a vehicle collided with the building prior to the fire.
"There are cordons in place at all three locations and residents and motorists are asked to avoid these areas."
Nobody was hurt during the fires and the buildings are being examined, police said.
The local man was arrested on suspicion of arson and is in custody.
The building on Benson Lane usually houses 400 staff, including the housing, planning, building control and leisure teams.
The headquarters is also home to about two-thirds of the Vale of the White Horse District Council's staff.
Andy Roberts, senior communications officer for the councils, said: "There has been a major fire... most services will be affected."
'Fire raging'Council leader John Cotton said: "At the moment we're putting together our contingency plans to keep the services running.
"We have a lot of people there during the day but, happily, overnight there's no-one there, so as far as I know there are no injuries."
Andrea Turner, who can see the offices from her bedroom window, described the fire as "really bad".
"I could hear loads of bangs and pops and got up to see what it was and saw massive high flames coming from the top floor of the building.
"The roof is now caved in and everything. It's all gone."
Ian Negus also saw the early stages of the fire.
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The BBC's Alison Dawes reports on what is known about the fire's cause
"I saw 60ft flames when I heard a bang outside.
"Half of the building was relatively sound, but the other half was completely exposed, and, with the wind, over the next couple of hours it got engulfed with flames.
"It was quite alarming how quickly it spread.
"Fortunately, it's in an isolated area and there weren't any residents around. If the wind was blowing the other way we could have had a big problem."
On the scene Alison Dawes, BBC reporter
Firefighters are blasting water down on top of the building, which can be seen from at least 10 miles away, glowing in the sky.
Flames are leaping from floor to ceiling and breaking through the roof in places.
There are parts that have completely collapsed and you can see daylight through parts of the top floor.
Meanwhile smoke's pouring across the neighbouring business park.
A caller to BBC Radio Oxford, who gave his name as Raleigh, said the fire was "raging".
The taxi driver, who was passing the scene, added: "The entire top level of the building is ablaze, there's going to be nothing left of it."
Mr Roberts said the council was trying to reduce the impact of the fire on frontline services.
"The councils are putting their business continuity plan into place to make sure the effect on the most important frontline services is kept to a minimum.
"Councils will set up an emergency phone line for people who have urgent inquiries."
The service was called at 03:11 to a fire at a thatched cottage and derelict buildings on Quakers Corner in Roke Marsh, near Benson and to a funeral parlour in Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, at 03:20.
Are you in the area? Have you witnessed any of the fires? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience. Please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
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